Chapter 11: Festivals and the Space Traffic Jams

Part 3: Adventures and Challenges in Space Travel

Festivals and the Space Traffic Jams

Dr. Aryan Verma sat by the large observation window of their lunar home, watching Earth shimmer like a divine lamp in the vast darkness. The sight always struck him with a mix of nostalgia and reverence. Tonight, it looked even more radiant—the glow of Diwali celebrations illuminating the continents, a dazzling web of golden lights flickering like countless diyas.

But the festival’s grandeur wasn’t just limited to Earth. Out here, in the ever-expanding frontier of space travel, Diwali had brought its own kind of chaos. The commercial spaceports were packed with travelers from Mars, Venus, and the asteroid colonies, all eager to return to Earth to celebrate with their families. The result? The biggest space traffic jam in history.

“Another delay?” Meera asked, placing a warm cup of herbal tea beside Aryan.

He nodded, rubbing his temples. “Third time today. The shuttle from Mars was supposed to dock at Luna Station two hours ago, but it’s still in a holding pattern. Too many crafts, too few docking bays.”

Meera chuckled. “Who would’ve thought Diwali traffic would become a problem in space too?”

Aryan smiled, but his thoughts were elsewhere. His grandfather’s words from their last conversation still lingered in his mind—the old man’s spiritual realization had stirred something deep within him. “Aryan,” he had said, “the vastness you see above is no different from the vastness within. The true journey is always inward.”

His grandfather had passed away shortly after, leaving behind an inexplicable void. And yet, Aryan felt his presence more than ever, as if the old man’s essence had dissolved into the cosmic expanse.

Just then, a loud thud echoed through their habitat. Avni and Ansh, who had been decorating their living space with floating lanterns, ran in excitedly.

“Papa! An asteroid just hit the outer shield!” Ansh exclaimed, his eyes wide with excitement.

Aryan frowned. “Are you sure it was an asteroid?”

“I don’t think so,” Avni said, glancing at the surveillance console. “It looked like a space pod… but an old one, not one of the commercial ones we see these days.”

Aryan’s pulse quickened. Unidentified pods near lunar habitats were rare, but not unheard of. Sometimes, rogue explorers or forgotten AI crafts from the early days of space colonization drifted into orbit. But something about this felt… different.

Meera tapped into the security feed, and the holographic display revealed the pod—a small, battered-looking craft with markings in a language Aryan couldn’t immediately recognize.

“Looks ancient,” Meera murmured. “And it’s just… sitting there, like it was meant to reach us.”

For a moment, a strange silence settled between them. Then Aryan made up his mind. “We need to check it out.”

Within minutes, Aryan and Avni suited up and stepped out onto the lunar surface. The pod sat half-buried in the dust, its metal casing dented and worn, as if it had traveled across centuries. Aryan ran his gloved fingers over the markings.

“Looks like… Sanskrit?” Avni whispered, puzzled.

Aryan’s heart skipped a beat. The symbols were not just Sanskrit but an ancient form, reminiscent of inscriptions found in prehistoric temples on Earth. How had they ended up on a derelict space pod?

With careful precision, Aryan activated the pod’s outer hatch. A low hum resonated through the metal, and the door creaked open. Inside, there was no pilot. Only a small, intricately carved wooden box sat in the center.

Aryan exchanged a look with Avni before reaching for it. As his fingers made contact, a strange warmth pulsed through his hand—a feeling not of heat, but of something… alive.

Slowly, he opened the box. Inside lay a single manuscript, its pages glowing faintly under the lunar light.

“Papa… what is this?” Avni whispered.

Aryan’s breath caught. The text was unmistakable—ancient yogic scriptures, but with diagrams unlike any he had ever seen. They depicted not just the chakras and energy pathways but an intricate map of consciousness that extended beyond the body, linking to celestial grids.

It was as if the document detailed not just spiritual ascension, but interstellar navigation through inner dimensions.

Back inside their habitat, Aryan carefully placed the manuscript on the table. Meera, now deeply intrigued, ran her fingers over the aged pages. “This explains something I read years ago,” she murmured. “Some ancient mystics believed that enlightened beings didn’t just transcend the mind but could travel beyond Earth… not through technology, but through consciousness itself.”

Aryan nodded slowly, his mind racing. “Could it be that ancient rishis had already mapped interstellar travel—through the power of their own awareness?”

Ansh, who had been quietly listening, suddenly piped up. “So… maybe space isn’t just physical. Maybe there are highways in our minds too!”

Aryan ruffled his son’s hair, smiling. “You might not be wrong, Ansh.”

A thought occurred to him. His grandfather’s last words—“The true journey is always inward.” Could this be what he meant? That humanity’s real space travel wasn’t through metal ships, but through unlocking deeper dimensions of existence?

A message alert beeped, interrupting his thoughts. Meera glanced at the screen and laughed.

“The Mars shuttle is finally cleared for landing.”

Aryan chuckled. “Looks like the space traffic jam is over.”

But in his heart, he knew that the real journey—the one that had just begun—was far beyond any traffic delays. It was a journey into the very fabric of existence itself.

And perhaps, just perhaps, the answers had been waiting for humanity all along, hidden in the wisdom of those who had walked the path long before rockets ever touched the sky.

As the shuttle carrying Mars passengers finally docked at Luna Station, the congestion in the space lanes began to ease. The announcements blaring over the intercom signaled clearance for private space vehicles, including Aryan Verma’s personal spacecraft, Indra Vimana.

“Finally, it’s our turn,” Aryan sighed, glancing at Meera, who was busy securing their luggage.

Avni, barely able to contain her excitement, grinned. “I can’t believe we’re going home for Diwali! Real diyas, real fireworks, real sweets—”

“Real traffic jams,” Ansh muttered, rolling his eyes. “Even in space.”

Aryan chuckled as he powered up the Indra Vimana. Unlike public space shuttles, which followed strict scheduled routes, their private cruiser gave them the freedom to travel at their own pace. The streamlined craft, equipped with the latest gravity stabilizers and panoramic observation panels, felt less like a spaceship and more like a home gliding through the cosmos.

As the docking bay doors slid open, Aryan carefully steered the spacecraft into the vastness beyond. The Moon’s surface shrank behind them, its silver plains fading into the endless black.

The Celestial Highway

The moment they entered the Earth-bound corridor, the real spectacle began. The traffic was worse than usual, with space yachts, cargo ships, and passenger liners creating a long line of glowing streaks against the void. Even with AI-assisted navigation, maneuvering required skill.

“Looks like everyone had the same idea,” Meera observed, watching a convoy of Mars settlers heading toward Earth.

“Yeah, well, Diwali on Mars just isn’t the same,” Aryan said. “They tried artificial gravity fireworks last year, but half of them exploded sideways.”

Avni laughed. “I saw those videos. Imagine a rocket zooming past your ear instead of the sky.”

Ansh tapped on the control panel, zooming in on a glowing mass ahead. “What’s that?”

Aryan checked the data feed. “Looks like an asteroid belt is shifting near the corridor. Space authorities must’ve rerouted some ships, causing the delay.”

Meera sighed. “Even the universe has traffic jams.”

Despite the congestion, the journey was breathtaking. As they cruised through the solar wind streams, the Indra Vimana passed by celestial wonders—brilliant auroras shimmering on the edges of the magnetosphere, a meteor shower trailing luminous streaks, and even a rare sighting of an interstellar comet, its icy tail stretching for miles.

For a while, everyone sat in awe, soaking in the cosmic beauty.

“This,” Aryan whispered, “is why I never get tired of space.”

Meera rested her head against his shoulder. “And yet, we’re traveling all this way to celebrate something so simple—light in the darkness.”

Aryan smiled. “Maybe that’s the whole point.”

Diwali on Earth – A Homecoming Like No Other

As they entered Earth’s atmosphere, the festival greeted them before they even touched down. The entire subcontinent was alight with flickering diyas, creating a golden glow visible from space. Even the oceans reflected the shimmer of firecrackers exploding in the sky.

The Indra Vimana smoothly descended onto their private landing pad, away from the bustling spaceports. The moment they stepped outside, the warm, fragrant air of India enveloped them—the scent of fresh marigolds, incense, and deep-fried sweets filled the night.

Their family members rushed to greet them, pulling them into tight embraces. Aryan’s mother, her eyes brimming with joy, placed a tilak on his forehead.

“You’ve returned like Lord Rama from exile,” she teased.

Aryan chuckled. “More like from the Moon, Ma.”

Meera was immediately whisked away by the elders to the kitchen, where preparations for the grand feast were in full swing. Avni and Ansh ran off with their cousins, setting up rows of diyas along the garden pathway.

As night fell, the celebration reached its peak. Fireworks painted the sky in dazzling colors, temple bells echoed in the distance, and the laughter of family filled the air.

Aryan stood on the terrace, watching the glowing lamps sway in the breeze. His father joined him, his face calm yet filled with wisdom.

“You travel across the stars, but don’t forget, true light is within,” the old man said softly.

Aryan nodded, remembering his grandfather’s spiritual realization. Maybe it wasn’t just about reaching new worlds—it was about carrying light wherever they went.

The Journey Back – A New Perspective

After days of celebration, it was time to return. The goodbyes were emotional, but there was no sadness—only warmth.

As the Indra Vimana lifted off, leaving behind the twinkling lights of Diwali, Aryan glanced at his family. They weren’t just traveling back to the Moon. They were carrying something far greater—a reminder of home, of love, of the eternal light that guided them through every journey.

And as the stars stretched out before them, he knew one thing for certain—no matter where they went, the festival of light would always live within them.